I have created a short list of the most famous Japanese writers and a selection of my recommendation of books related to Japan on my site Maciamo Japan, section Literature.

I have added links to an online Encyclopedia for each famous author. Just click on the name to read about them. I've selected 2 books in average per author, trying to choose the most representative. Click on the book cover to get the summary and reviews (and order it if you live in the US).

I am going to add more free online reading provided I find some.

Enjoy yourself !